TUMWATER — The cast of characters have changed. They aren’t as prolific in scoring goals. They aren’t going to likely blow anyone out of the stadium.
Still, betting against the Tumwater High School boys soccer team to be a contender for an Evergreen Conference would be a losing one. Over the last handful of years, they have finished in the top-three.
“We have something to prove now,” junior captain Malachi Vuong said. “Just because we lost a lot of seniors doesn’t mean we’re not who we are. We’re still Tumwater.”
In what the Thunderbirds viewed as a critical league match on Friday night, they answered the bell in the final 20 minutes.
Isaak Djigal tied the match in the 63rd minute and Vuong delivered the winning penalty kick six minutes later to give Tumwater a 2-1 triumph over Centralia at Tumwater District Stadium, its second win of the season.
“They showed heart,” T-Birds head coach John Hayes said. “These are the games I love to watch because it was back-and-forth. It was just young men going at it for 80 minutes and we came out ahead. They showed that they have some determination.
“They wanted it and they went out and got it. It was in my mind a must-win.”
It’s been far from smooth sailing for a program that has made the last two state tournaments. Tumwater (2-3-2, 1-1 EvCo) grinded through a pair of draws, a shutout setback to 4A Olympia and in its first league game, lost to Shelton in penalty kicks.
Guys like Dylan Stevens and Gavin Cuoio aren’t walking through the entrance gate. It’s required a team-wide effort to find ways to win.
Which is why Hayes and Vuong viewed Friday as a “must-win.”
“Once we work for each other, we (can) put teams away,” Vuong said. “We have talent in different places and once we figure that out, we’ll be a dominant team.”
Vuong didn’t get the start after working his way through the flu and a triple digit temperature. He was in the game for the most important moment.
Winger Aiden Aaseby took a far touch down the sideline and collided with Centralia backup keeper Romario Mejia. Mejia, whose primary position is centerback, left the ground and didn’t make contact with the ball.
The center referee immediately called a penalty kick, which Vuong promptly fired into the left side of the net in the 69th minute.
“I had my spot picked out,” Vuong said. “There is a bit of pressure, but I zone it out.”
“You can see the heart in him at 70 percent and you could see he was gassed,” Hayes added. “He is our captain, he is our energy.”
Tigers head coach Noel Vazquez simply put it on inexperience at the position.
“He is doing a great job and he’s done a lot of good things, but any keeper that’s in that position for a while comes into that one-on-one situation with his hands first,” Vazquez said. “We just have to understand the situation we’re in.”
Centralia (4-3, 1-1) had several chances to add a second goal. Daniel Rios Hernando’s header off a first half corner kick grazed the bar and cleared out. Andres Cruz, who scored the opening goal in the sixth minute, missed wide left on a shot inside 10 yards early in the second half.
Gabriel Cruz’s free kick was too high and on the final possession of the night, Damian Corona’s free kick attempt was two inches away from going in, instead hitting the bar.
For the early part of the spring, Centralia has been a second half team. It was a complete reversal on Friday.
“It is frustrating for the boys (and) me because I know the type of talent I have on this squad,” Vazquez said. “We know it is a hard place (to play). I told the boys if we don’t take them out of the game with a second goal, there is always going to be that chance.
“Hopefully they think about it.”
Tumwater’s backline sniffed out attacks and executed clearances at an efficient rate. Senior netminder Grady Harroun finished with six saves. The T-Birds only corner kick came in stoppage time and of their seven total shots, six were on frame.
Up next for them is a county rivalry match with Black Hills on Tuesday before spring break. They’re hoping to build momentum over the month of April.
“We’re done for right now the 8-0, 10-0 games,” Hayes said. “There is parity in the league and that makes for exciting soccer.”
Centralia hosts W.F. West on Tuesday and will battle Onalaska on Wednesday before its spring break. Vazquez believes this loss could be the necessary wakeup call. He spent roughly 10 minutes talking to the team after the handshake line.
“I hope I got my point across and I need them to understand they are a really good team,” Vazquez said. “They need to start believing that they’re good enough to be in the top of this league. I do believe once we become a two half team, we’re going to be dangerous.”
